Sunflower Bias: Stop Encouraging All those Suck-ups
High-Performing Teams Need Candor, Not Sycophants
“Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure,” said James Altucher. Our ability to recognize a poor decision and course correct early is often our best protection against larger failures. And this relies on having smart, candid people around us. And convincing them to be candid with us, not just when they agree, but always. As Ed Catmull said, “Candor is the key to collaborating effectively. Lack of candor leads to dysfunctional environments.”
Yet recognizing this absence isn’t always easy. People tend to be on their best behavior when dealing with their boss, saving lesser moments for their coworkers and spouses. It’s not that I’m saying people shouldn’t try to have a positive interaction with their managers, but if we don’t account for this, it gives us a false sense of security.
The stereotypical brownnoser stands out, but such brazen suck-ups are rare. Most people want to do a good job and have the boss think highly of them. They’ll generally agree with the manager’s position and support his or her ideas. They’re not mere yes-men, but they also don’t freely voice their disagreements.
When I first became a manager, I was working with people who knew me as an engineer. They didn’t think of me as…
